Moving advertising apparatus.



J. A. MCDOWELL. MOVING ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION PILED-SEPRQ 'I, 1909.

A Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MoDOWELL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MOVING ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27, 1909. Serial No. 519,735.

plurality of sign or advertising cards are 'carried by endless belts and displayed through an opening in a casing.

The ob'ects of Tmy invention are to provide an improved sign of this class embodying novel means of supporting the advertising cards or sheets and retaining the latter in their pro er positions throughout the movements 0 the carrying-belts; to provide improved means for actuating the carrying belts and to. roduce-other improvements the out hereinafter.

These objects I accomplish the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an advertising sign casing, 'shbwing my improved sign carrying .and belt operating mechanism therein,'Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on line w-w of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the means for impartingrotary motion to the belt carrying rollers, Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the central portion of one of the belt connecting strips, Fig.' 5 is an enlarged faceview of one corner of one of the advertisin sign sheets or cards, and

details of w ich will be more fully pointed Fig. 6 is a deta' sectional view of a card engaging means hereinaftendescribed.

Similar numerals refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a suitable oblong casing or housing 1, the latter having its forward side provided with a view opening, in which is supporteda plate of glass-2. Thecasing body 1 is provided with an extension on one end as indicated at 11, said extension being separated from the body of the casing by a vertical partition 1. -In each end of the main casing is jou rnal'ed-avertical roller body 3, each of these rollers having formed therein adjacent to each end a peripheral recessor belt-way 3 in which recesses areadapted to run par.- allel endless belts 4 which connect the rollers 3 of the opposite ends of the casing. In

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

forming each of the rollers 3, I also produce therein a comparatively deep peripheral recess 5', the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. Between the horizontal and parallel portions of each of the belts 4 and extending between the upper and lower sides of'the casing 1 is a vertical 1ongitudinalpartition 6, the ends of which .are adjacent to the inner sides of therollers ,3 and supported from suitable brackets 7 which project from opposite sides of the partitions 6 are vertical track rails or bars 8..

At desirable intervals the .upper and lower belts 4 are connected by vertlcal'iconnecting bars 9, the ends of said bars being'prefer-,

ably riveted in connection with the outer faces of said belts. In the upper portion of each of the bars '9 and on th inner side thereof, is pivoted'a suitable form of track wheel 10, these tracli wheels bearing upon the track bars 8 as indicated more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In constructing each of the-bars 9, I form the .upper'end thereof with a 'V-shaped recess 9* and I connect with one side of each of the/bars 9 the central portion of a paper retaining wire 11, the latter extending upwardly and downwardly from a lateral projectionv of the central portion of each of the bars 9 and having its terminal members bent to the angular form indicated at 11 in Fig. l.

12 represents the advertising sheets or cards, which cards are of such height as to cover the otherwise exposed outer face of the upper and lower belts 4. One'end 0f of each of the sign cards 12 is held in connection with a bar 9.through the medium of an external bar or bindin strip 13, the upper end of each of which as formed therewith a rearwardly projectipg pin 14 the enlarged head of which is adapted to be pressed downward into engagement with the V-shaped recess 9* 'of the bar 9. The lower end portion of each of the external binding strips 13 are formed with a rearwardly projecting and downwardly inclined attaching finger 15', which as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, iscadapted to, engage properly arranged openings in both the sign card 12 and the inner bar 9. Asindicated in the drawing, that end portion of each of the sign cards which has its termination adjacent to the bar 9, is held in connection with the outer faces of the belts 4: by the terminal portions of the corresponding spring retaining member 11, said angular terminal portions being inserted through openings in the sign card.

As will readily be understood, the connection of the spring members 11 and the ends of the sign cards is such as to afi'ord a sufficiently yielding engagement of the sign cards and card carrying belts, as to admit of the cards traveling about the end rollers without being subject to undue strain and insuring the retention of said cards in taut conditions. It will be understood that as the belts travel over the journaled rollers 3, the bearing wheels 10 will ride upon the track rails 8 until the ends of said rails are passed; when said track wheels will be carried about the rollers through the recesses 5 on to the track rails on the opposite side of the partition.

In order to impart-a rotary motion to the rollers 3 and a consequent traveling motion to the belts 4:, I have rovided a suitable form of motor 16 whic the frame extension 1 of the casing. With the shaft 16 of the motor, is. connected a disk 17 and to this disk ispivoted eccentrically one end of a bar 18, the outer end of the bar 18 being pivoted at 19 to one end of an arm 20 which extends from one end of a suitably journaled vertical shaft 21. The

shaft 21 has its upper end portion bearing and extending through the upper side of the casing 1 and above said casing said shaft carries a gear wheel 22. The shaft 21 can ries on the underside of the casing top a disk or friction wheel 23 which is formed with an upper side enlargement 23 To the arm 20 on the outer side of the'wheel 23is pivoted one end of an operating shoe 24,

the remaining end of which has a portion of its surface beveled or inclined, as shown and its remaining and extended portion curved to conform to the curvature of the wheel 23. The outer end of this operating shoe is held in position to contact with the periphery of the disk 23 through the medium of a spring 25, the outer end of which is connected with one arm of an angular shoe 26, the shoe 26 being pivotally supported from the underside of -the casing frame 1 and one .arm of said shoe having its end portion partially inclined and partially rounded and adapted to bear against the periphery of the wheel 23., The gear wheel is located within 22 gears with a similar, gear wheel 27 carried on an .end spindle 3 of one of the rollers 3.

When rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 16 from the motor 16, it is obvious that a reciprocating motion Will. be imparted to'the bar 18 and arm 20, with the result that an outward swinging movement of said arm 20 will operate through the contact of the extended end portion of the shoe 24= with the periphery of the wheel 23 to 1m part movement to the latter proportionate to the outward swinging movement of said arm. I11 the above described movement of the arm, which we will say is in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 3, it is obvious that the pull exerted by the spring 25 on the outer arm of the angular shoe 26, will result in releasing the wheel 23 from frictional contact with the extended portion of the shoe 26, but that on the return movement of the arm 20, the extended curved portion of the shoe 26 will again move into engagement with said wheel and operate as a brake or lock to prevent the reversed r0- tation of" the wheel. In the manner described, a comparatively rapid intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 21 and wheel 22, which motion is contributed through the gear wheel 27 to one of the belt carrying rollers 3, thereby imparting motion to said roller and to the sign carrying belts.

From the construction and operation Which I have described, it will beunderstood that the various cards which go to make up the continuous sign belt will be displayed successively through the glass plate 2 and it will also be understood that thesig-n cards may bereadily removed and others substituted therefor, as desired.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described-are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are in tended, itis to be understood that the invention is not limitedyyto the precise con- "struction set "forth, but includes within its purview such changes as ma be made within the scope of the appende claim.

What I claim, is:

In a moving sign ap aratus, the combination with a casing, o vertically disposed rollers journaled in the opposite end por tions of-said casing, upper and lower belts running about said rollers, bars connecting said belts at intervals, a vertically extending partition in said casing which terminates short of the verticallydisposed rollers,

horizontal track bars carried by said partition, track wheels journaled upon the belt connecting bars and traveling upon said track bars, clamping bars, members carried by said clamping bars for engaging curing said card engaging member to the said belt connecting bars,' resilient Wire, next adjacent clamping bar. -10 card engaging members, cards, one end of In testimony whereof 'I afli'x my signature each of said cards being clamped by one of in presence of two witnesses.

- the clamping bars to one of the belt conneet- JOHN A; MCDOWVELL ing bars and the other end of said card be- Witnesses; ing pierced by one of said resilient Wire C. (1.. SHEPHERD,

card engaging members, and means for se- JOSEPH P. EAGLEsON. 

